2025 Internal Erosion Workshop (DLS-208)
Includes a Live In-Person Event on 09/11/2025 at 8:30 AM (EDT)
- Registration Closed
Description:
Internal Erosion Workshop (DLS-208) establishes the essential skills for assessing internal erosion potential failure modes in support of dam and levee risk assessments. It provides pertinent background related to physics and mechanics of internal erosion mechanisms, summarizes important case histories, and identifies best practices for estimating probabilities of failure during a risk analysis. Physics-based analytical models of the RMC Internal Erosion Suite of toolboxes are central to assessing internal erosion potential failure modes, and an in-depth understanding of their application is essential to informing judgment for sound and consistent RIDM.
Many federal and some state agencies have adopted risk-informed decision making (RIDM) as part of their dam and levee safety guidelines. Successful implementation of RIDM requires properly training engineers and scientists in risk analysis of potential failure modes. Evaluation of internal erosion is complicated, and some theories and tools evolved significantly in recent years since their introduction. DLS-208 is required training to lead (as a facilitator) or participate (as a subject matter expert) in USACE, FERC, and TVA risk assessments. DLS-208 establishes the essential skills for assessing internal erosion potential failure modes in support of dam and levee risk assessments. It provides pertinent background related to physics and mechanics of internal erosion mechanisms, summarizes important case histories, and identifies best practices for estimating probabilities of failure during a risk analysis. Physics-based analytical models of the RMC Internal Erosion Suite of toolboxes are central to assessing internal erosion potential failure modes. Being able to use these available tools helps Subject Matter Experts estimate specific nodal probability estimates for risk analysis.
The training is presented in 18 modules consisting of a combination of presentations (approximately 50 percent) and hands-on demonstrations of selected toolboxes and exercises using the toolboxes (approximately 50 percent).
Audience:
DLS-208 is designed for geotechnical engineers and engineering geologists, with 5 to 15 years of experience, who are involved in semi-quantitative and quantitative risk assessment of internal erosion potential failure modes, either as facilitators or subject matter experts, according to RMC-TR-2021-01. It is also beneficial to staff performing supporting technical analysis for risk assessments. Potential attendees include FERC licensees; private, municipal, and state dam owners; state and federal dam safety engineers, dam owners, levee sponsors, and regulators; and consultants experienced in dam and/or levee safety evaluations.
Location:
Story Louisville
828 E. Market St.
Louisville, KY 40206
3 days in person, lunch included
Special Hotel Rate: https://www.storylouisville.com/hotel-genevieve
September 9- 11, 2025
22PDHs
Tim O'Leary
Lead Civil Engineer
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Institute for Water Resources
Tim is a registered professional engineer with more than 30 years of geotechnical and dam and levee safety-related experience. He is currently a lead civil engineer with the USACE RMC and a member of the USACE dam and levee Senior Oversight Group. Tim provides technical expertise with respect to geotechnical engineering and dam and levee safety risk assessment and risk management. His experience includes facilitating potential failure mode analyses and screening, semi-quantitative, and quantitative risk assessments; developing methodology and tools used for risk assessments; and developing risk-informed guidance documents. He has published several technical papers and was a primary author for the Best Practices in Dam and Levee Safety Risk Analysis manual and the FEMA P-1032 Evaluation and Monitoring of Seepage and Internal Erosion. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering and a Master of Engineering degree in Geotechnical Engineering from the University of Louisville.
Adam Gohs
Senior Geotechnical Engineer
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Institute for Water Resources
Adam is a registered professional engineer with more than 10 years of geotechnical and dam and levee safety-related experience. He is currently a senior geotechnical engineer with the USACE RMC. He provides technical expertise with respect to geotechnical engineering and dam and levee safety risk assessment and risk management, as well as serves as an advisor to multiple dam and levee safety risk cadres. Adam’s experience includes advising and facilitating potential failure mode analyses, semi-quantitative risk assessments, and quantitative risk assessments, as well as developing geotechnical models, analysis methods and tools used for risk assessments. He has a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and a Master of Engineering in Civil Engineering from the University of Louisville.
Damon Amlung
Senior Geotechnical Engineer
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Institute for Water Resources
Damon is a registered professional engineer with more than 15 years of geotechnical and dam and levee safety-related experience. He is currently a senior civil engineer with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ (USACE) Risk Management Center (RMC). Damon provides technical expertise with respect to geotechnical engineering and dam and levee safety risk assessment and risk management. His experience includes facilitating potential failure mode analyses and screening, semi-quantitative risk assessments, and quantitative risk assessments. Damon has also developed geotechnical models, analysis methods, and tools used for risk assessments. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering and a Master of Engineering degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Louisville.
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